Academy made the 700 mile round trip to Lowland League side
Dalbeattie Star and the Scorries booked their place in the second round draw
with a fine 3-1 win. Both Alan brothers were missing today, Davie was suspended
and Ross is out injured after breaking a bone in his arm in last weekend's game
against Nairn.

James Pickles set the ball rolling with the opener and Macadie
doubled the lead with a penalty. The home side had Lewis Sloan sent off at the
start of the second half, but a Tommy Muir penalty had them straight back in it
on 70 minutes. Sean McCarthy pulled off two great saves to deny Dalbeattie the
equaliser before Steven Anderson secured the win. Star ended the game with only
nine men when Connor Graham picked up his second booking of the match deep into
injury time.

The first half-chance of the game fell to Academy on 17
minutes. A Michael Steven throw-in on the right found Sam Mackay on the edge of
the box. Mackay knocked the ball back to Gary Manson but he fired his attempt
from 25 yards out over the crossbar.

A minute later and Steven Anderson almost found the opener.
Gary Weir played the ball onto Anderson who marched into the box and went
one-on-one with keeper Vinnie Parker. Parker came and narrowed the angle,
blocked Anderson's shot and then gathered the re-bound.

On 21 minutes Academy took the lead. Greig Thorborn gave
away a free kick and was booked in the process. Danny Mackay floated it onto
the mix and Dalbeattie could only clear to the edge of their box. It fell to
Michael Steven who headed it back in for James Pickles who went one-on-one with the
keeper and Pickles stayed composed and although Parker got a touch on the ball
he couldn't prevent it ending up in the back of the net.

0 - 1

On the half-hour Academy had another chance. Mackay crossed
into the box from the right and it was knocked into the path of Macadie but his
first-time volley flew just wide of the target.

The home side created their first real chance on 36 minutes.
A ball into the Academy box found Jamie McHarrie but his shot smacked off the
back of Michael Steven and Academy cleared the danger.

Sam Mackay then had two chance within the space of a minute.
Weir won the ball in the centre circle and played it up-field to Mackay. He
drove forward and got a shot on target from just inside the box that was saved
by Parker. The re-bound fell to Mackay but he could only chip wide. He then had
another good attempt from a similar positon again saved by the keeper.

Richard Macadie doubled the Scorrie's advantage five minutes
from the half-time break. Pickles combined with Macadie who slid a great ball down the left flank for the Orcadian to run onto. Pickles drove into the box and went
to go around keeper Parker who took him down. Referee Duncan Williams had no
hesitation in booking Parker before pointing to the penalty spot. Macadie
stepped up to take the spot kick, sent the keeper the wrong way and buried it in
the bottom right hand corner.

0 - 2

Half Time - Dalbeattie Star 0 - Wick Academy 2

Dalbeattie gaffer Darren Kerr made a change for the start of
the second half with Lewis Todd coming on for Danny Dunglinson.

Dalbeattie's task to get back into the game took a dent with
only three minutes of the second half played. Lewis Sloan went in to challange for a cross that McCarthy fell forwards to collect and referee Williams spotted
something he wasn't happy with and he flashed Sloan a straight red card.

On 70 minutes the 10 men of Dalbeattie pulled a goal back. Danny
Mackay challenged Tommy Muir for a 50-50 ball that was played into the Academy box and
referee Williams awarded the second penalty of the match. Muir took the
responsibility of the spot kick and he hammered home.

1 - 2

Star's tails were up and it took two brilliant saves from
Sean McCarthy to prevent the equaliser. The first from a Lee Wells header from
a free-kick that looked goal-bound but McCarthy somehow managed to dive to his left and get a hand
to it to claw it away to safety. Substitute Sean Degan then had a 25 yard left foot drive
that looked bound for the top corner of the net but McCarthy managed to tip over the top with another wonderful
one-handed save.

Nine minutes from full-time Academy put the tie to bed.
Michael Steven picked up a slack pass from Lee Wells just inside the Academy half on the right flank and drove
forward into empty space. He played a fantastic long diagonal ball over the top that Steven
Anderson latched onto in between Wells and another covering defender and from just inside the box he smashed a low left foot
drive passed keeper Parker into the bottom right hand corner.

1 - 3

Marc MacGregor came on for Richard Macadie and he had an
attempt that was saved by Parker who had been a busy boy for the duration of
the game.

Dalbeattie's day went from bad to worse as Connor Graham picked
up his second booking of the game deep into injury time and Academy ran the
clock out to ensure their berth in the second round.

Full Time - Dalbeattie Star 1 - Wick Academy 3

The draw for the second round takes place next Monday night
the 26th Sept at 6pm.